The Secretary, acting through the Service, shall make grants to public or nonprofit private health or educational entities or Indian tribes or tribal organizations to assist such entities in meeting the costs of—

(1)identifying Indians with a potential for education or training in the health professions and encouraging and assisting them—

(A)to enroll in courses of study in such health professions; or

(B)if they are not qualified to enroll in any such courses of study, to undertake such postsecondary education or training as may be required to qualify them for enrollment;

(2)publicizing existing sources of financial aid available to Indians enrolled in any course of study referred to in paragraph (1) of this subsection or who are undertaking training necessary to qualify them to enroll in any such course of study; or

(3)establishing other programs which the Secretary determines will enhance and facilitate the enrollment of Indians in, and the subsequent pursuit and completion by them of, courses of study referred to in paragraph (1) of this subsection.

(1)No grant may be made under this section unless an application therefor has been submitted to, and approved by, the Secretary. Such application shall be in such form, submitted in such manner, and contain such information, as the Secretary shall by regulation prescribe. The Secretary shall give a preference to applications submitted by Indian tribes or tribal organizations.

(2)The amount of any grant under this section shall be determined by the Secretary. Payments pursuant to grants under this section may be made in advance or by way of reimbursement, and at such intervals and on such conditions as the Secretary finds necessary.

1992—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 102–573, § 102(a)(1), amended par. (1) generally. Prior to amendment, par. (1) read as follows: “identifying Indians with a potential for education or training in the health professions and encouraging and assisting them (A) to enroll in schools of medicine, osteopathy, dentistry, veterinary medicine, optometry, podiatry, pharmacy, public health, nursing, or allied health professions; or (B), if they are not qualified to enroll in any such school, to undertake such post-secondary education or training as may be required to qualify them for enrollment;”.

Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 102–573, § 102(a)(3), substituted “enrollment of Indians in, and the subsequent pursuit and completion by them of, courses of study referred to in paragraph (1) of this subsection” for “enrollment of Indians, and the subsequent pursuit and completion by them of courses of study, in any school referred to in clause (1)(A) of this subsection”.

1988—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 100–713amended subsec. (c) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (c) read as follows: “For the purpose of making payments pursuant to grants under this section, there are authorized to be appropriated $900,000 for fiscal year 1978, $1,500,000 for fiscal year 1979, and $1,800,000 for fiscal year 1980. There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $2,300,000 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1981, $2,600,000 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1982, $3,000,000 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1983, and $3,500,000 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1984.”